Engine



Nov. 12, 1968 L. E. BODKIN 3,410,086y

' ENGINE Filed Feb. 8, 1967 INVENTOR azure/:ce Bad/i1 United States ABSTRACT OFv THE DISCLOSURE An engine having a pair of elongated rotatable spools with Va multi-cellular, liquid-filled, extensible and contractible,A continuous belt therearound which is energized by aheat source, to contract, at any instance during operation of the engine, one spanning segment between the spools tending to pull the belt from around the spools and to urge the spools in opposing directions. A connection meansbetween the spools connects Athe spools to be driven in the same direction, but with one spool having a greater radial velocity ,than the other spool, thereby permitting contraction yof the spanning segment with resultant rotation of the spools, and movement of the belt in the direction of the rotation of the spools, the amount of belt being pulled from around one spool in its extended state being equal to the amount yof belt picked up by the other spool in the contracted state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of invention- This invention relates to engines and more particularly to a novel and improved engine for imparting rotary motion to a load or driven device. The improved engine is powered by a continuous belt that is capable of linear expansion and contraction, such asmay be effected as the result of heating and cooling, with the belt imparting continuous rotary motion to the load.

(B) Description of the prior UL-Extensible and contractible mechanismsv consisting of piston and cylinder combinations have long been employed with crank shafts and the like as a means of converting the expansive force of steam or burning gases to rotary motion. In these mechanisms power is provided in a discontinuous manner or in pulses often modified through the elfect of an inertial device such las the ily-wheel. These prior art devices are usually accompanied by sounds created in the abrupt release of gas or vapor into the atmosphere and/ or by the explosive combustion of fuel within the cylinder. Such internal combustion engines also are a source of atmospheric pollution, which present an increasingly difficult problem.

SUMMARY This invention relates to a new and improved engine, the engine including a frame, a pair of spaced rotatable members, and means connecting the members for rotation thereof to the frame. An endless extensible and contractible belt of a predetermined length is positioned around and between the members with the endless belt drivingly engaging each of the members about at least a portion of their outer periphery for rotating same. A source of energy is associated with the belt for changing the length dimension thereof in a rst direction, the belt thereafter being adapted to substantially return to its predetermined length by changing the length `dimension thereof in a second direction opposite to the rst direction. The belt has a rst and a second lsegment spanning between the members with the rst belt segment being extensible and the second belt segment being contractible at any particular instance during operation of the engine whereby the belt moves in a direction around the members and rotates the members in such direction.

"arent O 3,410,086 Patented Nov. 12, 1968A The engine in one of its aspects further includes connecting means associated with the members for tdrivingl'y' rotating the members at different radial velocitiesl Witli one member having a greater radial velocity than the other member, the amount of belt removed from the one member in its elongated state and into the second belt segment is equal to the amount of belt removed from the second belt segment in its contracted state bythe other member. In another aspect the source of energy is a heat source and is associated with the second belt segment for contracting the length thereof due to the heat from the heat source while the belt is moving from lthe one member to the other.

In another aspect the engine includes a unidirectional slippage means operatively associated between the con-` necting means and the one member to permit rotation of the one member in a direction opposite to its normal direction thereof during operation of the engine and with respect to the other member. A spring loaded rotatable idler member engages the rst belt segment for' maintaining tension in the second belt segment while the er1- gine is in its idler state. The unidirectional slippage means permits the belt to move in the opposite `direction during depowering of the engine thereby permitting the idler member to maintain tension in the second belt segment. The belt preferably includes a plurality of cells, and means within the cells which are responsive to the source yof energy for changing the dimensions of the cells in the second belt segment thereby changing the length dimension of the belt in the first direction.

A general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved engine. Another object is the provision of an improved engine which furnishes uninterrupted rotary power with substantially less sound or noise than is produced by prior art engines. Another object is to provide an engine for developing high torque at low speed. Another object is to provide an improved engine which is energized by a source of energy which is relatively completely combustible and free of atmospheric contaminants. A related object is the provision of an improved engine which is adapted to be powered by a variety of heat sources and fuels. Another object is to provide an engine of simplified construction requiring a minimum number of parts and with comparatively fewer requirements for manufacturing precision in such parts. A related object is to provide an engine which is economical in both the manufacture and maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference tothe following description taken in connection with the acpanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the engine in accord with the invention, the engine being broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a right end elevational view of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of one expanded cell of the belt;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of one rotatable member and belt thereon in its expanded state, the collapsed state of the belt being `depicted by broken lines; and

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional representation of an alternate belt construction for the engine of FIG. l.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to FIG. l, the engine is generally indicated by reference numeral 5 which includes a pair of spaced and parallel supports or frames of the engine 6 and 7 joined by braces 7' and a pair of spaced rotatable members in the form of elongated spools 12 and 13 which are respectively associated with shafts 14 and 15 journalled in frames 6 and 7. Driving means, generally depicted at 16, connects members 12 and 13 for rotation about respective shafts 14 and 15, means 16 including a pair of gears or sprockets 17 and 18 respectively connected for rotation with shafts 14 and 15. Driving or connecting means 16 also includes a chain 19 meshed with sprockets 17 and 18 and tensioning means, generally indicated at 20, which includes an idler gear or wheel 21 pivotally mounted at 22 to frame 6 by a pair of arms 23. Idler gear 21 is yieldably restrained clockwise byspring 24 attached between frame 6 by lug 25 and connection means 26 on arms 23 thereby retaining chain 19 in a taut and unslackened manner. A driven device or load (not shown) may be drivingly connected to either or both of the shafts 14 and 15 to transfer power from engine thereto.

Uni-directional slippage means 30 is provided between spool 13 and shaft 15, together with sprocket 18, to permit relative rotation in `one direction between spool 13 and shaft 15, means 30 including a ratchet wheel 31 attached to shaft 15 for rotation therewith and a pawl 32 pivotally mounted on member 13 at one end 33 by pin 34 with its other end ratchetly engaging teeth 36 of wheel 31. Pawl 32 is urged into engagement with teeth 36 by compression spring 37 attached to member 13 by connecting means 38, compression spring 37 bearing against pawl 32 to yieldably urge the same clockwise into its ratcheting position engaged with teeth 36. Uni-directional slippage means 30 is seen to provide for counterclockwise rotation of member 13 relative to sprocket 18 and shaft 15 to permit the power belt 40, hereinafter more specifically described, to move counterclockwise to maintain tension in the segment 41 of the power belt 40.

A continuous power belt of a predetermined length spans between and around spools 12 and 13 and drivingly engages such spools about at least a portion of their outer peripheries in much the same manner as a chain spans between a pair of spaced sprockets. Power belt 40 comprises a linked series of elongated cells 42 of thin wall iiexible construction which is in frictional engagement with, at any one instance, a portion of each of spools 12 and 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of the cells 42 extends generally perpendicularly to the length of the belt and is filled with selected expandable and contractible means of a limited and predetermined amount so as to cause each cell to assume a attened and thus elongated cross-sectional shape, as shown at 43, in the cooled or collapsed state thereof and to assume a rounded and thus comparatively contracted cross-sectional shape, as shown at 44, only in the heated or expanded state. When all of the cells 42 are in their elongated or cooled state, as at 43, a tensioning means, indicated generally at 45, is provided to maintain the tension in power belt 40. Tensioning mean-s 45 comprises an idler member in the form of an elongated spool or roller 46 supported by a pair of arms 48 from stub shafts 47 connected to frames 6 and 7, idler roller 46 being yieldably restrained counterclockwise by a pair of tension springs 49 attached between frames 6 and 7 by lugs 50 and connection means 51 on each of arms 48.

A pair of blocking pins 60 are selectively placed in general alignment with each other and respectively in one of the plurality of spaced openings 61 in frames 6 and 7 for limiting the clockwise extent of travel of idler arms 48 and idler spool 46. This blocking pin adjustment means thereby also restricts the amount of slack in the belt segment 41 in the running or powered state by more positively limiting the amount of belt available to segment 41 from segment 65 which can be transferred by slippage about spools 12 and/or 13, belt segment 65 being the side of the power belt 40 opposite segment 41 and conv 4, taeted by the idler spool 46. Belt 40 may lengthen due to age, or the length of a replacement belt may be slightly different due to the irregularities of manufacturing tolerances and the like, therefore blocking pins 60 and spaced openings 61 permit adjustment of the restrictive influence in the power belt 40 and thereby com-pensate for minor variations of belt length.

The tension of segment 41 of power belt 40 must be established by the spring loaded idler spool46 to permit starting of the engine, as will be more clearly understood hereinafter. A tension of segment 41 must be maintained to permit proper functioning of the power belt 40 against the detensioning effect on segment 41 of either an unpowered forward or clockwise rotation of the spools' 12 and 13 as a possible result of an inertial quality of the engine or driven device wherein the lpower belt passes onto spool 12 in a non-contracting state, or slippage or creep between the power belt 40 and spools 12 and/ or 13. The reestablishment and/or maintenance of tension in segment 41 of power belt 40 is achieved-by the uni-directional slippage means 30 and tensioning means 45, but this could have been achieved, for example, by attaching a ratchet wheel, similar to wheel 31, to sprocket 17 and a spring loaded pawl, similar to pawl 32, attached to spool 12 with the spool 12 being movable relative to sprocket 17 and shaft 14, as previously described in connection with spool 13, sprocket 18 and shaft 15, so arranged and oriented to permit free rotation of spool 12 in a clockwise direction relative to sprocket 17.

Sprocket 18 has a diameter smaller than sprocket 17 with the diameter of spool 12 and 13 being generally equal whereby the radial velocity of spool 13 exceeds that of spool 12. lt is to be understood that the radial velocity of spool 13 may be designed to exceed the radial velocity of spool 12 by varying the relative diameters of spools 12 and 13 rather than the diameters of sprockets 17 and 18. Therefore, the relative diameters of spools 12 and 13 and the relative diameters of their respective drive sprockets 17 and 18 must be designed to provide that the radial velocity of spool 13 exceeds that of spool 12. The ratio of the radial velocity between spools 12 and V13 is suicient for the clockwise rotation of spool 13 to pass an amount of belt 40 into segment 41 at a rate greater than the rate at which spool 12 removes an amount of belt from segment 41, when belt cells are in alike state of expansion and the belt is thus maintained at a given state of length. As seen in FIG. 1, however, the engine is shown in its powered condition with the power belt 40, passing from spool 13 to spool 12 over heat source 70, with resultant expansion of the fluid means within the cells 42 which contracts the linear dimension of the cells 43 and the belt segment 41. Assuming the cells overheat source and to be first in their flattened condition, as when the engine is first being started, the heat source 70 is actuated which then heats up the cells thereover causing a partial expansion of the fluid means within the cells and increasing the tension of segment 41 between spools 12 and 13. This partial expansion of the cells causes contraction of the length of the belt segment 41 by contracting or decreasing the distance between the midpoints of adjacent expanding cells which urges the contacted spools 12-and 13 in opposing directions, spool 13 being pulled in a clockwise direction and spool 12 in a counterclockwise direction. Since the pull upon spool 13 is exerted through a means of greater moment as provided by the ratio of sprockets 17 and 18 motion results in a clockwise direction with contracting segment 41 pulling additionalvcells into belt segment 41 from around spool 13 and thus from belt segment 65. Such pulling of additional belt cells vas' permitted by the rotation of spool 13 advances the engine system as sprocket 18, rotated by the rotation of spool 13 through uni-directional slippage means 30, drives chain 19 thus driving sprocket 17 which in turn rotates spool 12 in a clockwise direction moving the expanded cells 44 onto spool 12 and thus cells from segment 41 into segment 65. In other words when the tension in segment 41, due to the expansion of the nid means in cells 42 causes the movement of the power belt 40 around spool 13 in a clockwise direction, it causes rotation of both spools 13 and 12 on their respective shafts 15 and 14. This rotation would cease if the comparative rate of the power belt 40 added to segment 41 from around spool 13 were great enough to relieve tension in segment 41 when the cells were in their fully expanded condition and the power belt 40 were in its fully contracted state, but since spool 12 engages and moves the cells 44 therearound in the expanded or shortened state the lower radial velocity of spool 12 can remove a number of cells from belt segment 41 equal to the number of flattened or elongated cells added to belt segment 41 by the higher radial velocity of spool 13. Therefore, spool 13 feeds an amount of belt into segment 41 which is in its elongated state and the sarne amount of belt is removed by spool 12 in its expanded state thereby maintaining tension within segment 41. With tension thus maintained in the running or powered state of the engine, the engine will continue to operate by movement of the power belt 40 in the clockwise direction by the expansion of the individual cells 43 of the power belt 40 in segment 41 which thereby effect a linear contraction of the segment 41 of the power belt. The ratio of the length of belt delivered to segment 41 of power belt 40 by spool 13 to the length of belt removed from segment 41 by spool 12 is somewhat less than the ratio of the length of the entire belt 40 in the flattened or elongated state to the length of belt 40 in its fully contracted or powered state. Assuming connecting web length and collapsed cell thickness in the belt 40 to be minimal, the ratio must thus be greater than 1:1 and generally less than 1.57: l. In other words the ratio of the cross-sectional length of a completely flattened cell to the ldiameter of the cell when fully rounded which must be greater than 1:1 and generally less than 1.5711. The actual ratios of radial velocities are not only determined by the relative spool and sprocket diameters but also by the effectively increased diameter of spool 12 in carrying the laterally expanded and thickened power belt as seen in FIG. l. In other words the effective radius of spool 13 i-s from the center of the shaft 15 generally to the center of the collapsed cells 43 of power belt 40 whereas the effective operating radius of spool 12 is from the center of shaft 14 generally to the center of the expanded cells 44 or generally to the web connections 66 between the cells 44.

When the engine is initially started, the cells about spool 12 are in a flattened condition and less than the normal amount of belt is removed from segment 41 until these flattened cells are replaced by the advancing partially expanded cells 44 which have been expanded by the heat source 70. The momentary effective difference between the starting and running spool ratios adds a slight excess of belt to segment 41, however, the passage of the initial expanded cells onto spool 12 is immediate and functions to increase the working diameter of spool 12 and thus establish the proper working ratio of Iradial velocities. The extent of this excess of belt is substantially dependent upon the relationship of the cell size to the diameter of spool 12.

The tension of belt segment 41 due to the contractive forces exertedthereon by the expansion of the cells 42 above heat source 70 induces rotation of the engine in a direction tending to relieve such tension, i.e., the belt 40 moves clockwise since the radial velocity of spool 13 eX- ceeds that of spool 12. The tensionl is maintained in segment 41 during operation of the engine since the amount of belt fed to segment 41 by spool 13 is equal to the amount of belt removed from segment 41 by spool 12, i.e., the number of contracted belt cells 44 being picked up by spool 12 is equal to the number of elongated belt cells 43 delivered to section 41 by spool 13.

Heat source 70 is mounted between frames 6 and 7 by support 72. A heat shield 71 is provided substantially around segment 41 to conserve the heat energy from source 70 and to maintain the partially expanded cells in their expanded state until the expanded cells are advanced around spool 12 sufficiently for them to be under the influence of the spring-loaded idler 46, i.e., until they become a pa-rt of segment 65 of power belt 40. After the expanded cells become a part of segment 65 of the power belt 40 the cells are cooled by the atmosphere or in any other known manner to permit the uid within the cell to be contracted thereby vertically contracting the individual cells which lengthens the longitudinal dimension of the power belt 40, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The lower radial velocity of spool 12 provides contracted power belt to segment 65 which elongates within the segment so that the spool 13 may pickup a greater length of belt due to its greater radial velocity thereby not effecting an increase of tension within segment 65. p

The cells 42 in power belt 40 are shown in progressively expanding state as they pass from spool 13 to spool 12 in segment 41 as aifected by the duration 4of their exposure to heat source 70. It will be apparent that a greater separation of spools 12 and 13 with a longer heat source would expose each cell of the segment 41 for a longer period of time per given rate of movement thus affording an increase in the given rate of movement in belt 40 and thus increased rotational speed of the spools 12 and 13 if exposure time is made equal.

The material or fluid means within the cells 42 of power belt 40 is preferably a liquid which is converted into its vapor state by heat source 70 thereby providing a relatively high degree of expansion of the cells. While gases alone and/or gas and liquid could be employed as the expanding material for the cells 42 of power belt 40, vaporization of a liquid provides a greater expansion of the cells and is more practical. For example, water could be used as the fluid means which is Vaporized into steam within cells 42 of power belt segment 41 and expands same, as depicted at 44, thereby contracting the length of the power belt 40 within segment 41. This action powers the engine 5 and rotates the expanded cells onto spool 12 and into the cooling segment 65 of power belt 40 where cooling and condensation of the steam within the expanded cells 44 is accomplished, whereupon the cells begin collapsing which elongates the power belt 40 within segment 65 as it passes between spool 12 and idler 46 and spool 13. This cooling and condensation in causing a collapse of the cell also serves to redistribute the liquid throughout the cell. When the liquid condenses and occupies a volume equal to the volume of the collapsed cell, it thereby re-wets substantially all the internal surfaces and thereby assumes a more uniform temperature within the cells. The condensed water remains at a high temperature and is returned from cooling segment 65 to the heated segment 41 to be re-heated only the few degrees necessary for re-vaporization thus conserving much of the heat energy which is commonly lost in many prior art steam engines.

It is to be understood that many other liquids may be used in the cells of the power belt 40 to effectively power the engine from an energy source. Proper choice of the liquid can provide for operation of the power belt in many temperature ranges. Also, if a source of cooling below the normal or atmospheric temperature is available to remove heat from segment 65, the normal or atmospheric temperature may be considered a heat source to segment41 and a fluid means, for example, which is vapor or gas at normal or atmospheric temperature and is condensed to the liquid state by the cooling effect of a temperature below the said normal or atmospheric temperature, would provide the means for energizing the engine 5.

The materials selected for use in the manufacture` of the power belt 40 and its cells are preferably of a highly exible characteristic with a comparatively ygood heat conductivity. Since heat energy is` applied, as shown to the exterior side 73 of each cell wall, the energy must be conducted'away from such side wall by the fluid means within the cell contacting the opposite or interior side 74 of the cell wall. High temperature effects in the cellwall are thus minimized by the contained liquid, and the b'elt material is thus protected from overheating to an extent determined byV the nature of the selectedliquid and/or liquid and solid combination. The addition of 4finely divided solid particles particularly metals to the liquid of the cell so as to form a slurry further protects the cell wall'b'y increasing assurance of itscontact with heat conductive'material. When the contained' vaporizing liquid expands the cell so'that the cell volume exceeds the volume of the remaining liquid the liquid previously co'ntacting all"the 'inner cell surfaces liows freely to the lowest part of the cell. Although the cells move on to the subsequent collapse and redistribution of the liquid, the momentary exposure of the un-Wetted cell Wall to the heat source should be avoided to prevent damage thereto and the addition of the metal particles to the liquid in the cells impedes the free ow of the liquid to the lowest part of the cell and offers additional protection for the power belt due to the high heat conductivity thereof. It is also desirable to select the liquid and particulated solid to have relatively close specific gravities to prevent fast settling out ofthe solid particularly in the cooling segment 65.

The heat source 70 selected for engine 5 preferably affords freedom from high transient temperatures such as may be encountered in a fiame adjacent the power belt. Heat sources that offer catalytic or other fiameless burning of fuel provide sources of heat more consistent in temperatures and permit a greater number of appropriate materials to be selected for the power belt 40.

The fluoroplastics, such as polytetraliuoroethylene, and the silicone rubbers may be employed as the material for the power belt 40 which ofier a retention of their physical properties at high temperatures together with a high degree of chemical inertness and vapor impermeability. The polyimide resins, which have good temperature resistance characteristics, are not considered suitable because they absorb water readily with accompanying loss of physical properties. These resins may be used if laminated with fiuoroplastic thereby substantially alleviating the problems associated with these resins. Also fillers and other re-enforcement material such as glass and/ or metal fiber may be added to various ones of these materials to improve heat conductivity and/ or tensile strength thereof. The inner surfaces of the cells should be readily wetted by the fluid therewithin. The degree of adsorbancy may be increased through texturing or a measure of. absorbancy included by coating or lining the cells with a suitable absorbent material. Also, a wetting agent may be employed with the fluid to assist in the wetting of the interior sides of the cells walls. A transparency of the cell Wall to the infrared section of the spectrum is additionally protective while an infrared absorptive 'quality in the contained substance advances thermal efiiciency.

In FIG. 4 an endview of the belt cells 42 is depicted in full lines by the expanded cell designation 44 and in broken lines by the collapsed cell designation 43. The cells are formed by vertically sealing two layers of material together to form connecting webs 66, and the ends 68 are sealed at right angles to the plane of the belt to form shoulders 69 which function to maintain the belt in proper lateral position engaged with spools 12 and 13. It is to be understood that other methods of forming the belt may be used and that spools 12 and 13 may include vertically extending lianges which may maintain the belt in its appropriate lateral position.

In FIG. another belt cell construction is shown in which the shape of each cell remains essentially round between the contracted state, as shown'I at 81, vl'and' th'e expanded cell, as shown at 82, thus depending upon the elastic expansion `for enlargement vof the cell and onsequent elongation of the powerbelt. In thisl arrangement heat causes elongation of the power belt 80, asshownfin FIG. 5, rather than the contraction effect, as s howli'in FIGS. 1,'2, 3 and 4, and this heat must be` provided in the segment of belt; corresponding to segment 65 in FIG. 1 with subsequent cooling and the empowering contraction of the power" belt'in asegment corresrion'ding4 to segment 41 in FIG. 1. Such'an arrangemeri'tfof belt con'- struction, as 'shown in' FIG. 5, would 'be "advantageous when the empowering source available to contract the segment, corresponding to segment 41, is a'les's tharinoimal or atmospheric temperature, such temperature 'being available to effect an 'expansion in the segmenffcorresponding to segment 65. 'l

This alternate belt construction is generally' not y'als suitable as the belt shown in FIGS. l, 2, 3 and 4' in that the materials employed in this belt must be limitedto those having elastomer qualities to permit expansion aridv contraction, and the rounded shape of the cells provide less cell wall area per unit volume of 'contained fiuid'than the power belt cells 42.

While the sprocket and chain is shown connectingthe spools for rotation about their respective shafts, 'other equivalent drive connections, such as a pulley and belt system, or gear systems may be employed to drivingly connect the spools. It is also to be understood that the simple frictional contact of the spool System, as shown, may be supplemented by, for example; crrugating ythe spool surfaces, or the frictional contact may be replaced by some other more positive manner of engagement.

While only certain preferred embodimentsof this invention 'have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to thoseskilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it beunderstood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all-such modifications as fall within the true spirit andfsco'peof this invention. l I

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent lof the United States is: v

1. In an engine comprising a frame, a pair of spaced rotatable members, means for connecting ksaid members for rotation thereof to said frame, an endless belt of a predetermined length around and between-said members and drivingly engaging each said member about at least a portion of its outer periphery for rotating said members, said belt having a first segment spanning between said members and second segment spanning between V'said members with said first and second segments oppositely facing each other, a source of energy associated with vsaid belt for changing the length dimension thereof in a first direction, said belt being thereafter adapted to substantially returned to its predetermined length by changing the length dimension thereof in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said first belt segment being extensible and said second belt segment being contractible at any particular instant during operation of the engine whereby said belt moves in a direction around said members and rotates said members in lsuch direction, and means for maintaining tension in said second belt segment when the engine is in its idle state and when belt contraction is insufficient to maintain tension of said'second belt segment during engine energization.l

2. In the engine as defined in claim 1 further comprising connecting means associated with said members for drivingly rotating said members at different radial velocities.

3. In the engine as defined in claim 1 wherein said belt includes a plurality of cells, means within each Iof said cells responsive to said source of energy'for changing the dimensions of said cells thereby changing the length dimension of said belt in said first direction.

4. In the engine as defined in means includes a fluid.

5. In the engine as defined in means includes a liquid.

6. In the engine as defined in means includes a gas.

7. In the engine as defined in means includes a liquid and gas.

8. In the engine as defined in claim further comprising particulated solid material disposed within said cells with said liquid and forming a slurry therewith.

9. In the engine as defined in claim 8 wherein said solid material has a relatively high heat conductivity.

10. In the engine as defined in claim 8 wherein said liquid and solid materials have relatively close specific gravities.

11. In the engine as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for maintaining tension includes a unidirectional slippage means operatively associated between said connecting means and one said member to permit rotation of one said member in one direction with respect to said other member.

12. In the engine as defined in claim 11 wherein said source of energy is associated with one of said belt segments, and wherein said means for maintaining tension further includes a spring loaded rotatable idler member engaging the other of said belt segments for maintaining tension in said one belt segment while the engine is in its idle state, said unidirectional slippage means permitting said belt to move in said one direction during depowering of the engine thereby permitting said idler member to maintain tension in said one belt segment.

13. In the engine as defined in claim 1 further comprising connecting means associated with said members for drivingly rotating said members in the same direction, the cross sectional dimensions of said members and said connecting means being adapted and arranged to provide movement of said belt around one said member at a rate different from the rate at which said belt is moved around the other said member during operation of the engine.

14. In the engine as defined in claim 1 further comprising connecting means associated with said members for drivingly rotating said members in the same direction, the cross sectional dimensions of said members and said connecting means being adapted and arranged to move said belt around one said member an amount equal to the amount of belt moved around the other said member during operation of the engine.

15. In the engine as defined in claim 1 wherein said members have respective longitudinal, spaced and parallel axes for rotation thereabout, said belt including a plurality of elongated and closed cells having a longitudinal axis parallel to said longitudinal axes of said members, means within each of said cells responsive to said source of energy for changing the dimensions of said cells thereby changing the length dimension of said belt in said first direction.

16. In the engine as defined in claim 15 wherein expansion of said cells causes contraction in the continuous length dimension of said belt and subsequent contraction of said cells causes elongation in said continuous length dimension of said belt, said source of energy energizing claim 3 wherein said claim 3 wherein said claim 3 wherein said claim 3 wherein said said means within said cells for expanding said cells thereby contracting said belt, said cells subjected to said source of energy constituting said second belt segment.

17. In the engine as defined in claim 2 wherein said second belt segment imparts contractible force between said members for rotating said members, said members being rotatably driven by said connecting means to supply successive portions of said belt in a predetermined state of length of belt to said second belt segment at a predetermined radial velocity and to remove successive portions of said belt from said second belt segment in a state of length of belt less than said predetermined length at a radial velocity less than said predetermined radial velocity thereby maintaining the contractible force imparted to said members by said second belt segment during operation of the engine.

18. In the engine as defined in claim 2, wherein said source of energy is a heat source and is associated with said second belt segment for contracting the length thereof due to the heat from said heat source while said belt is moving from one said member to another said member, said one member having a greater radial velocity than said other member whereby an amount of belt is removed from said one member in its elongated state and into said second belt segment which is equal to the amount of belt removed from said second belt segment in its contracted state by said other member.

19. In the engine as defined in claim 18 wherein said means for maintaining tension includes a unidirectional slippage means operatively associated between said connecting means and one said member to permit rotation of one said member in a direction opposite to its normal direction thereof during operation of the engine and with respect to said other member.

20. In the engine as defined in claim 18 wherein said belt includes a plurality of cells, means within each of said cells responsive to said source of energy for changing the dimensions of said cells in said second belt segment thereby changing the length dimension of said belt in said first direction.

21. In the engine as defined in claim 5 wherein the inner surfaces of said cells are adapted and arranged to adsorb said liquid.

22. In the engine as defined in claim 5 wherein the inner surfaces of said cells are adapted and arranged to absorb said liquid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,602,068 10/1926 Daub 60-23 3,303,642 2/ 19167 Lee 60--23 3,316,415 4/1967 Taylor 60-23 X 3,321,908 5/1967 Katchalsky et al. 60-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 155,005 12/ 1920 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Institution of the Rubber Industry, vol. l, pp. 162-167 Apr. 26, 1934.

EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner.

C. B. DORITY, Assistant Examiner. 

